USAID to grant education ministry $52m

KABUL (PAN): The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would provide the Afghan government a grant of $52 million (2.721 billion afghanis) for the promotion of technical and vocational education, an official said on Sunday.

A contract for a $5 million was signed between Deputy Minister of Education Mohammad Asif Nang and a USAID representative in Kabul, paving the way for the technical education facility for 8,000 high school graduates.

A second contract for a $47 million grant would be inked next month, Nang told reporters after the signing ceremony.

Separately, the Ministry of Education signed agreements with the Organisation for Human Welfare (OHW), Kardan Institute of Higher Education, Mehr Education and Human Rights Organisation and Smart International.

The $865,000 accords were aimed to train 2,900 high school graduates for 10 months in information technology and telecommunication, engineering and finance management, the deputy minister added.

Over the past 11 years, the USAID has provided about $5 million annually to the ministry.